To T. C. Eyton 4 March [1872]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. [9 Devonshire Street, London.]
March 4th
Dear Eyton
I know that you disbelieve in evolution, & therefore it is all the kinder your sending me the note about the Ducks. It is curious how much easier it seems to be for plumage to alter than any other visible character.2
If you continue testing facts as favouring or opposed to the principle of evolution, I think that you will become a convert; but whether you will believe in natural selection is another question.— If you do not, you will, I believe, find it impossible to account for the innumerable adaptive structures everywhere to be seen.— It is really astonishing how rarely I now meet with any naturalist who does not admit evolution under some form.—
Pray believe me, dear Eyton | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Thanks for facts about ducks.
Thinks TCE will be converted to principle of evolution if he continues testing facts for and against it. Natural selection is another question.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8235
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thomas Campbell Eyton
- Sent from
- London, Devonshire St, 9 Down letterhead
- Source of text
- Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections, University of Birmingham (EYT/1/43)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8235,” accessed on
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 20
